955 


UC-NRLF 


B    3    3Eb    MIS 


fas 


FOSTINA   WOODMAN, 


TBC 


WONDERFUL   ADVENTURER. 


'!  -    ! 

BY    MISS    A.  A.  BURNHAM. 


BOSTON— 1854. 


1-OSTINA   WOODMAN, 

THE 

WONDERFUL 

a^lf^     ^IF*    ^T'tf    *?^*F    ?VI    >W 
S 
***/         *3         >^5      J*^         >&        Ae4 


ESS 


THE   SHIP    ESSEX   SAILS    FOR    CALIFOHXI.V. 


BY  A.  A.  BURNHAM. 


BOSTON: 

1854. 


Entered  according  to  an  A«t  of  Congress  in  the  year  1850,  by 

BT  A.  A.  BURNHAM, 
In  th«  Clerk's  Offif«  of  the  Di»trict  Court  of  tht  Di«tri«t  of  Mawaehusetti 


BTEREOTYPID    AT    THS 
BO8TOK      gTERKOTTPE      POVKD11T, 


FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Description  of  Fostina's  Home  —  Introduction  of  Herself 
and  Parents  to  the  Reader  —  Aunt  Aubrey  —  Sudden 
Calamity  —  77t«  Two  Brothers  and  Lewis  Mortimer  — 
Introduction  of  her  Uncle,  and  the  Great  Change  in  Fos- 
tina's  Life. 

READER,  are  you  a  lover  of  Nature  ?  And  do  you 
behold  with  pleasure  the  wonderful  works  of  creation, 
where  the  hand  of  Art  has  made  no  claims  ?  Then 

follow  me  to  the  quiet  and  pleasant  village  of  S , 

and  visit  there  the  Mountain  Glen,  and  you  will  see 
one  of  the  loveliest  places  which  Nature  ever  formed, 
and  which  stands  unrivalled  for  its  beauty,  in  this  great 
land  of  wonders. 

Before  introducing   you  to  the   leading   characters 
whose  history  will  form    the    principal   part   of  this 


FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


work,  I  shall  endeavor  to  give  a  faint  description  of 
the  beautiful  scenery  which  this  place  commands. 

It  is  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  Massachusetts, 
not  far  from  the  Connecticut  River,  which  flows  on  in 
its  winding  course  through  the  valleys,  among  the 
hills,  until  it  falls,  like  a  rush  of  mighty  waters,  into 
its  deep  basin  below. 

Along  these  banks  may  be   seen   the   rural  cottages,  ; 
scattered   here  and   there   among    the   valleys,  almost 
concealed  from  view  by  the  deep  embowering  shade 
of  the  forest  which  ^surrounds  them.     The  traveller, 
as   he  ascends   a  more   elevated   spot,  will  behold  an 
extensive  range  of  mountains,  as  far  as  the   eye  can 
penetrate  the  distance.     And  while  contemplating  the 
scenery   before    him,  outstretched    on  Nature's    broad , 
canvas,  his  eye  may  involuntarily  rest  on  the  beautiful, 
spot  referred  to  at  the  opening  of  my  story. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning  in  June,  and  the  sun  slowly 
and  beautifully  rose  in  the  blue  heavens,  spreading  out 
his  sheet  of  golden  light  over  the  broad  canopy  of 
heaven,  scattering  with  the  melting  influence  of  his 
rays  the  heavy  mist  and  fog  which  lay  spread  over 
the  valleys  of  S .  There  a  scene  of  rare  loveli 
ness  was  spread  out  to  view  —  rich  landscapes  and 
sloping  meadows,  clothed  in  green,  waving  their  heavy 
burden  in  the  morning  breeze.  The  dew  lay  heavily 
upon  the  earth,  and  the  thick  foliage  of  the  trees 
sparkled  with  the  glittering  dewdrops  bowing  their 
branches  beneath  its  weight. 

Nought  was  heard  save  the   gentle  murmuring  of 


the  waters,  which  flowed  at  the  foot  of  the  Mountain 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.  -    7 

Gleu.  Sparkling  streams  pursued  their  silent  way. 
bordered  by  stately  trees  whose  glittering  foliage  hung 
heavy  with  the  dew  of  the  morning,  and  bent  their 
graceful  leaves  to  meet  the  rippling  wave  which  flowed 
beneath  their  branches.  The  lofty  oak  rose  in  all  its 


majesty,  and  spread  its  towering  limbs  around,  as  if  to 
protect  the  merry  group  which  had  collected  under  its 
shade,  to  inhale  the  fresh  breeze  of  the  morning. 

A  short  distance  from  the  mountain,  on  the  western 
side,  there  was  erected  a  magnificent  dwelling,  called 
the  Cottage  of  the  Mountain  Glen.  Beautiful  and 
romantic  was  this  place,  to  a  lover  of  nature,  as  he 
stood  upon  the  lofty  hills,  and  could  see  the  blue 
wreath  curling  up  from  the  white  cottage,  nearly 
hidden  from  view  by  the  thick  foliage  of  the  trees 
which  surround  it. 

On  approaching  nearer  this  lovely  spot,  could  be 


FOSTINA    WOODMAN. 


seen  a  winding  pathway,  overhang  with  the  branches 
of  the  willow,  which  grew  on  either  side,  leading 
from  the  cottage  to  the  mountain.  Still  further  on 
could  be  seen  the  cultivated  gardens,  forming  a  strik 
ing  contrast  with  the  waving  groves  around,  and  ren 
dered  still  more  beautiful  by  the  lofty  hills  and  moun 
tains  which  overlooked  the  valleys  below. 

The  arrangement  of  the  grounds  and  the  architecture 
of  the  buildings,  all  exhibited  evidences  of  the  superior 
taste  of  the  owner.  And  when  standing  on  the  rising 
eminence,  and  gazing  upon  the  beauties  of  this  roman 
tic  place,  we  could  bul  tKink  that  it  was  indeed  the 
abode  of  happiness ;  and  surely  it  was  so,  for  here 
resided  the  beautiful  heroine  of  my  story,  whom  I 
will  introduce  to  you  as  Fostina  Woodman,  one  who 
was  destined  to  become  the  wonder  and  admiration 
of  all  that  knew  her. 

Here,  in  the  cottage  of  the  Mountain  Glen,  dwelt 
this*  lovely  maiden,  in  quiet  and  peaceful  seclusion, 
with  her  father,  three  brothers,  and  an  elderly  aunt, 
who,  for  many  years,  had  been  an  inmate  of  the 
family. 

Mrs.  Woodman,  one  of  the  loveliest  of  women, 
beloved  by  all  that  knew  her  for  her  mildness  and 
amiable  disposition,  had  died  after  a  long  illness,  leav 
ing  Fostina,  her  only  daughter,  when  but  five  years 
old,  to  the  care  of  her  sister,  who  then  took  charge  of 
the  family. 

Mr.  Woodman  had,  in  his  early  life,  been  a  trades 
man,  possessing  some  property  left  him  by  his  father  ; 
he  invested  the  amount  in  goods,  and  prosperity 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.      9 

crowned  his  efforts  with  success  beyond  his  greatest 
expectations.  He  continued  in  his  business  until  he  had 
accumulated  what  he  thought  necessary  to  complete 
his  happiness,  and  then  returned  to  his  native  village, 
where  he  offered  his  hand  and  fortune  to  Fostina 
Aubrey,  the  daughter  of  an  honest  gardener,  who 
consented  to  their  union. 

Accompanied  by  his  youthful  bride,  Mr.  Wood 
man  started  for  the  far  west,  to  seek  out  a  home  for 
himself  and  loving  wife  in  some  secluded  vale,  where, 
in  peace  ard  quietness,  he  might  pass  the  remainder  of 
his  days. 

After  travelling  a  great  distance  from  the  land  of  his 

nativity,  he  arrived  at  the  village  of  S ,  where  he 

stopped  to  survey  the  surrounding  country.  On  one 
side  it  was  rough  and  mountainous,  solitary  and  wild, 
while,  on  the  opposite,  could  be  seen  cultivated  fields 
beautifully  variegated  with  cottages  and  waving  for 
ests.  Still  farther  on,  he  beheld  a  lofty  mountain 
about  a  mile  from  the  village,  which  it  overlooked, 
together  with  an  extensive  range  of  country,  present 
ing  a  variety  of  beautiful  scenery.  Here  he  selected 
a  place  to  erect  his  dwelling,  and  called  it  the 
Mountain  Glen,  where,  for  many  years,  he  lived  in 
possession  of  health  and  happiness.  But  alas, 

When  in  the  midst  of  happiness, 
How  oft  doth  sorrow  come ! 

Consumption,  that  awful  syren,  had  entered  the 
joyous  home  of  Mr.  Woodman,  and  marked  his  lovely 
wife  for  its  prey ;  and  although  many  years  elapsed 


10  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

before  it  effected  its  work,  yet  he  well  knew  what 
would  be  the  result. 

Pain  and  distress  had  wrecked  her  feeble  frame,  and 
dimmed  the  lustre  of  her  once  sparkling  eyes  ;  her  step 
was  feeble,  her  voice  grew  weak,  and  soon  her  gentle 
spirit  took  its  flight  to  a  fairer  and  brighter  world, 
leaving  to  her  bereaved  husband  four  children,  the 
youngest  their  only  daughter.  With  joy  the  father 
saw  that  she  partook  in  a  great  degree  of  her  mothers 
gentle  spirit.  This  gave  hope  and  consolation  to  the 
now  almost  heart-broken  parent,  who,  as  he  looked 
upon  his  child,  saw  the  perfect  resemblance  of  her 
departed  mother. 

On  the  death  of  Mrs.  Woodman,  she  gave  up  the 
charge  of  her  children  to  her  sister,  who  watched  over 
them  with  all  a  mother's  kindness;  with  careful  atten 
tion  she  reared  the  tender  plants  left  to  her  care  by 
her  departed  sister. 

Fostina  soon  completed '  her  twelfth  year,  and  her 
father  with  pleasure  witnessed  the  growing  intellect 
of  his  child,  and  the  superior  talents  which  she  pos 
sessed.  He  bestowed  upon  her  a  liberal  education, 
and  was  fully  rewarded  for  his  labors  as  he  beheld, 
with  astonishment,  the  rapid  progress  of  his  lovely 
daughter. 

Nor  was  Aunt  Aubrey  less  pleased,  as  she  saw  her 
fair  charge  in  all  her  youthful  beauty,  possessing  her 
mother's  gentle  nature,  lovely  in  rnind  and  person. 


Years  rolled  on  in  quick  succession,  and  our  lovely 


THE    WONDERFUL    ADVENTURER.  11 

heroine  had  reached  her  nineteenth  year,  beloved  and 
admired  by  all  who  knew  her,  diffusing  love  and 
happiness  around  to  all  that  were  blessed  with  her 
presence.  , 

At  the  commencement  of  my  story,  one  lovely 
morning,  she  was  seated  beneath  a  stately  oak,  with 
her  .brothers,  and  Lewis  Mortimer,  a  son  of  a  gentle 
man  residing  in  the  village,  who  had  ever  been  a  con 
stant  visitor  and  welcome  guest '  at  the  Woodmans. 
An  intimacy  had  by  degrees  gradually  grown  up  be- 
tween  them,  and  he  had  now  become  almost  a  constant 
member  of  the  family.  Lewis  had  long  felt  a  strong 
attachment  towards  Fostina,  and  she,  too,  was  not 
ignorant  of  the  feeling  which  existed  between  them. 
She  had  but  a  faint  recollection  of  her  mother, 
although  her  father  had  often  impressed  upon  her 
youthful  mind  the  remembrance  of  one  so  fondly 
cherished  in  his  memory. 

Fostina  had  never  experienced  much  of  this  world's 
sorrow  ;  the  brightness  of  her  sparkling  eye  and  joy 
ous  countenance  spoke  the  true  index  of  the  soul 
within.  From  her  infancy  she  had  been  cradled  in 
the  home  of  indulgence,  and  received  every  care  and 
attention  from  Aunt  Aubrey,  which  a  fond  mother 
could  bestow,  and  she  therefore  felt  not  her  loss. 
fler  father,  too,  had  devoted  most  of  his  time,  since 
the  death  of  his  wife,  to  the  care  of  her  tender  offspring. 

But  O,  how  soon  was  the  happiness  of  Fostina  to 
end !  O  lovely  maiden  !  if  the  dark  curtain  of  futu 
rity  could  be  raised,  and  thou  be  permitted  to  behold 
what  awaits  thee  in  the  distant  future,  methinks  the 


12  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

bright  hopes,  which  now  fill  thy  young  heart  with 
joy,  would  be  forever  crushed ! 

A  sudden  and  awful  calamity  again  visited  the 
quiet  and  happy  home  of  the  Woodmans,  in  the  cot 
tage  of  the  Mountain  Glen.  The  musical  voice  of 
the  gentle  and  loving  Fostina  was  no  longer  heard 
to  resound  over  the  Mountain. 

That  dreadful  malady,  the  cholera,  which  has 
struck  such  horror  and  dread  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  our  country  of  late,  h*d  long  prevailed  in  the  vil 
lage  of  S ,  sweeping  off  a  great  number  of  its 

inhabitants.  It  had  found  "ts  way  into  the  peaceful 
cot  of  Mr.  Woodman,  and  marked  three  of  its  happy 
inmates  as  victims.  The  once  happy  home  was  now 
the  abode  of  misery  and  suffering.  Mr.  Woodman, 
his  youngest  son,  and  Aunt  Aubrey  fell  victims  to 
the  disease  which  proved  fatal  in  its  course. 

Fostina  and  her  two  elder  brothers  were  the  only 
surviving  members  of  the  unfortunate  family,  who 
were  now  bereft  of  their  only  remaining  parent  and 
faithful  nurse  who  had  ^watched  over  them  since  the 
death  of  their  mother. 

Poor  Fostina  would  have  suak  undcsr  this  heavy 
affliction,  had  it  not  been  for  the  kind  attention  of 
her  brothers,  and  the  ever  watchful  care  of  Lewis 
Mortimer,  who  whispered  hope  and  consolation  to 
his  gentle  and  confiding  Fostina  in  the  time  of  this 
severe  affliction. 

Weeks  rolled  on,  and  Lewis  continued  to  remain 
with  the  bereaved  family,  as  they  would  not  consent 
to  have  him  depart. 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     13 

But,  alas  !  as  time  passed  by,  our  lovely  heroine 
was  doomed  to  a  more  severe  trial  of  her  young 
heart's  affections. 

Her  brothers  had  long  contemplated  the  idea  of 
leaving  their  native  land  for  California  in  pursuit 
of  gold,  for  which  so  many  have  sacrificed  their 
home,  friends,  and  even  life,  without  obtaining  the 
desired  treasure.  They  had  made  known  their 
intention  to  Lewis  Mortimer,  and  had  prevailed  on 
him  to  accompany  them.  In  vain  did  Fostina  plead 
with  them  not  to  leave  their  home ;  but  when  she 
saw  that  their  determination  was  fixed,  she  endeav 
ored  to  persuade  Lewis  not  to  join  them.  She 
implored  him  not  to  forsake  her,  now  that  she  was 
bereaved  of  her  beloved  friends.  He  told  her  that 
the  time  of  his  absence  would  pass  swiftly  on,  and 
he  should  soon  return  with  the  means  that  would 
repay  her  for  the  sacrifice  during  that  short  period. 
Again  he  told  her  that  he  must  obtain  possession  of 
that  which  he  thought  necessary  to  effect  their  hap 
piness  in  future  years. 

O  vain  ambition  !  delusive  hope  !  Too  many  there 
are  who  think  that  true  happiness  cannot  be  enjoyed 
without  the  possession  of  wealth. 

Not  many  years  after  Mr.  Woodman  had  settled 
at  the  Mountain,  his  brother-in-law  visited  the 
place,  and  concluded  to  settle  in  the  village,  which 
he  did,  establishing  his  residence  a  few  miles  from 
the  Glen. 

It  had  been  arranged  by  the  brothers  of  Fostina, 
after  their  father's  death,  that  Mr.  Aubrey,  their 


n 

14  FOSTINA     WOODMAN, 


uncle,  should  take  possession  of  the'  Cottage  until 
their  return l  on  condition  that  he  would  take  charge 
of  their  beloved  sister  during  their  absence.  With 
the  kind  assurance  of  this  from  their  uncle,  the 
brothers  took  leave  of  their  affectionate  sister,  prom 
ising  a  hasty  return  to  their  mountain  home.  But 
now  came  the  trying  moment  to  Lewis  Mortimer  and 
his  beloved  Fostina.  The  thought  of  absenting  him 
self  so  long,  from  one  he  so  dearly  loved,  so  wrought 
upon  his  feelings  that*  he  almost  gave  up  the  idea  of 
leaving  his  native  land.  But  the  entreaties  of  his 
youthful  friends,  and  the  desire  for  gold  which  filled 
his  breast,  together  with  the  repeated  assurances  of 
'Fostina's  uncle,  that  he  would  watch  over  and  protect 
her  during  his  absence,  induced  him  at  last  to  follow 
them. 

Poor  Lewis,  it  was  a  trying  moment !  The  time 
had  now  come  that  he  must  bid  adieu  to  his  fair 
betrothed  !  The  lovely  Fostina  fell  on  his  bosom  and 
wept  bitter  tears  of  anguish.  He  bid  her  a"wait  with 
calmness  his  return,  when  they  should  never  more 
be  separated.  One  fond  embrace,  and  affectionate 
farewell,  from  the  trembling  lips  of  Lewis  Mortimer, 
and  they  parted! 


THE    WONDERFUL    ADVENTURER.  15 


CHAPTER      II. 


Tlif  Ship  Essex  sails  for  California,  with  Lewis  Mortimer 
and  the  two  Brothers  on  Board  —  Fostina's  Grief  at  their 
Departure  —  Her  Uncles  Family  —  Fostina^s  Dream  — 
Rineldo  Aubrey. 


IT  was  on  the  first  morning  in  June  in  184—,  that 
the  noble  ship  Essex  set  sail  for  the  distant  lands  of 
California,  with  a  large  crew  of  enterprising  young 


16  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

men  on  board  from  the  village  of  S ,  among 

whom  was  Oscar  Woodman,  his  brother  Calvin,  arid 
Lewis  Mortimer.  Sad  were  their  feelings  as  they 
bid  adieu  to  their  quiet  home  in  the  Mountain  Glen, 
arid  gave  a  last,  fond,  lingering  look  at  their  native 
shore. 

But  soon  the  bright  visions  of  the  future,  which 
filled  their  youthful  hearts,  dispelled  the  gloom  which 
hung  around  them  as  they  parted  with  their  friends. 

Long  days  and  nights  passed  slowly  away,  and  the 
good  ship  pursued  its  course  on  the  distant  ocean.  And 
often,  in  the  dark  and  fearful  night,  when  the  storm 
cloud  gathered  around,  threatening  to  burst  upon  the 
fearless  and  manly  crew,  often  did  poor  Lewis  think 
of  his  native  home,  and  his  beloved  Fostina,  whom 
he  had  left  behind,  to  seek  a  glittering  prize  in  a 
foreign  land,  fondly  hoping  that  he  might  soon  return 
in  possession  of  the  long  desired  treasure. 

The  grief  of  the  devoted  Fostina,  after  parting 
with  her  brothers  and  Lewis  Mortimer,  to  whom  she 
had  given  her  young  heart's  affections,  was  now 
almost  insupportable. 

After  separating  from  her  lover,  Fostina  retired  to 
her  room  buried  in  deep  meditation ;  she  felt  as  if 
she  was  now  bereft  of  all  her  dearest  friends.  All 
that  she  had  held  so  dear  in  life,  had  been  taken 
from  her  in  so  short  a  period  ! 

O  lovely  Fostina!  in  all  thy  youthful  beauty, 
when  surrounded  by  friends,  and  thy  young  heart 
overflowing  with  happiness,  little  then  didst  thou 
dream  of  this  thy  unhappy  lot ! 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     17 

Mr.  Aubrey  removed  to  the  cottage  with  his  family, 
according  to  the  request  of  his  nephews,  which  con 
sisted  of  his  wife  and  only  son.  Fostina  was  now 
an  inmate  of  her  uncle's  family,  where  she  was  treated 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  received  from  them 
every  possible  attention  which  was  in  their  power 
to  bestow. 

Her  aunt  was  quiet  and  gentle  in  her  manner 
towards  her,  ever  ready  to  administer  the  balm  of 
consolation  to  the  broken-hearted  girl,  who  wept  in 
the  bitterness  of  solitude.  In  her  moments  of  grief 
and  sadness,  she  would  retire  alone  to  her  apartment, 
there  to  meditate  upon  her  lonely  situation.  At  these 
times  Mrs.  Aubrey  never  failed  to  exert  her  utmost 
endeavors  to  cheer  her  with  words  of  kindness, 
giving  hope  and  consolation  that  happy  days  were 
yet  to  come. 

But,  alas!  the  lonely  maiden  in  the  Mountain 
Glen  had  almost  fallen  a  victim  to  despair.  Her 
merry  voice,  which  had  so  often  rung  over  the  Moun 
tain  like  music  in  the  air,  was  now  no  longer  heard. 
The  rose  had  faded  from  her  cheek,  and  her  once 
bright  eyes  were  dimmed  with  tears,  and  her  lovely 
countenance  bore  the  traces  of  deep  sorrow. 

In  vain  did  her  uncle  endeavor  to  soothe  her  grief, 
and  calm  her  troubled  spirit,  that 

Sought  for  rest,  but  found  despair 
Companion  of  its  way. 

Often,  at  the  close  of  day,  Fostina  would  wander 
forth  to  visit  the  graves  of  her  departed  friends,  who 

2*  = 


18  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

now  slept  in  sweet  repose  beneath  the  shadow  of  the 
willow,  which  waved  its  drooping  branches  above 
them.  Here,  side  by  side,  they  lay,  in  the  same  spot 
which  had  been  selected  by  Mr.  Woodman  in  life, 
where  they  might  live  in  peaceful  seclusion. 

Weeks  rolled  by,  and  the  deep  interest  which  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Aubrey  had  taken  in  their  fair  charge,  and 
the  great  kindness  which  they  manifested  towards 
her,  had  in  some  degree  resigned  her  to  her  fate. 
The  ever-watchful  care  of  Mrs.  Aubrey,  and  the 
numerous  favors  bestowed  upon  her  by  her  friends, 
were  now  rewarded  by  the  cheerfulness  which  she 
assumed,  when  in  the  family  circle. 

It  was  late  one  lovely  afternoon  in  the  month  of 
August,  the  sun  had  sunk  into  the  golden  west,  and 
all  nature  seemed  to  be  hushed  in  silent  repose.  The 
shades  of  twilight  had  gathered  around,  and  the 
lovely  Fostina  wandered  forth  to  visit  the  graves  of 
her  departed  friends.  After  remaining  there  a  short 
time,  she  turned  her  steps  towards  the  Mountain,  and 
seated  herself  in  a  pleasant  nook,  overshadowed  by 
a  lofty  elm. 

All  was  silent  save  the  gentle  murmur  of  the  spar 
kling  rivulet,  which  flowed  beneath  her  feet,  and  the 
graceful  bending  of  the  branches  around  her,  gently 
moved  by  the  evening  zephyrs.  She  was  silent 
a  while,  musing  on  the  past  and  contemplating  the 
scene  before  her,  recalling  to  her  memory  the  many 
jhappy  hours  spent  in  this  lovely  spot  with  the  now 
absent  and  loved  ones.  She  thought  of  the  many 
happy  seasons  passed  in  their  society  j  and  now  what 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.      19 

a  striking  contrast !  The  bright  hopes  which  had 
once  caused  her  young  heart  to  beat  with  joy  and 
gladness,  seemed  forever  fled  from  her  youthful 
breast !  She  leaned  her  head  against  the  Branches 
of  a  willow,  where  she  sat,  and  wept  in  grief  and 
sorrow.  The  shades  of  .night  had  gathered  round, 
I  the  lonely  maiden  unconsciously  fell  into  a  quiet 
b^i.-nbcr.  The  moon  had  risen,  and  now  shone  forth 
in  all  its  beauty,  casting  its  silver  rays  through  the 
branches  of  the  willow  which  hung  mournfully  over 
the  fair  sleeper.  As  the  light  shone  upon  her 
countenance,  she  seemed  most  lovely  to  behold.  A 
calm  of  quiet  resignation  had  spread  over  her  features, 
and  she  lay  like  one 

"\Vho  slept  —  in  sweet  repose, 
"With  angels  hovering  round. 

She  slept,   and  dreamed  the  following  dream :  — 

FOSTINA'S    DREAM. 

She  thought  it  was  a  lovely  spring  morning,  and 
her  beloved  Lewis,  with  her,  accompanied  by  her 
brothers,  had  left  their  home,  to  be  absent  a  few  days 
on  a  visit  to  a  friend  who  resided  some  miles  from  the 
village.  After  riding  some  distance  from  the  Moun 
tain,  they  heard  the  report  of  a  musket,  seemingly  not 
far  distant ;  the  horses  suddenly  took  fright,  and 
rushed  on  through  the  forest  at  their  utmost  speed, 
throwing  the  travellers  prostrate  upon  the  earth.  When 
Fostina  had  recovered  from  the  shock  she  had  re 
ceived  by  her  sudden  fall  from  the  carriage,  what  was 


20  FOSTlNA    WOODMAN, 

her  astonishment  to  find  herself  at  her  uncle's  resi 
dence,  attended  by  her  uncle  and  aunt,  with  her 
cousin  Rineldo,  watching  over  her !  As  soon  as  she 
was  restored  to  consciousness  enough  to  realize  her 
situation,  she  earnestly  inquired  for  Lewis  and  her 
brothers ;  and  on  being  informed  that  they  had  not 
been  seen,  she  immediately  rushed  from  the  house  to 
the  late  scene  of  confusion.  When  she  arrived  at  the 
spot,  no  one  was  to  be  seen  ;  she  called,  but  no  answer 
came  to  the  sound  of  her  voice,  save  the  echo  of  the 
distant  hills.  Almost  frantic  with  grief,  she  hastened 
from  the  spot  to  the  Mountain,  but  her  friends  could 
not  be  found;  she  continued  her  search,  but  in  vain; 
she  entered  the  cottage,  but  could  gain  no  intelligence 
of  the  missing  ones.  The  horrible  reality  now 
flashed  upon  her  mind,  that  some  enemy  had  pursued 
them,  and  her  friends  had  been  taken  prisoners ;  the 
report  which  she  recollected  to  have  heard,  confirmed 
her  in  this  belief. 

With  this  awful  impression  resting  upon  her  mind, 
the  distracted  girl  threw  herself  down  in  despair; 
she  thought  of  the  mysterious  circumstances  which  had 
taken  place  on  that  eventful  day,  but  all  was  clouded 
with  the  deepest  mystery.  Night  came  on,  and  Fos- 
tina,  little  thinking  of  the  dangers  to  which  she  was 
herself  exposed,  rose  to  renew  her  search  for  the  lost 
ones,  when  she  imagined  that  she  saw  a  light  glim 
mering  at  a  distance  through  the  trees;  a  second 
glance  convinced  her  of  its  reality,  and  she  turr.ed 
her  steps  in  the  direction  from  which  she  saw  it.  On 
approaching  the  spot,  she  discovered  that  the  light 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     21 

which  she  had  seen  issued  from  a  rude  dwelling.  As 
she  ventured  nearer,  she  heard  voices  within,  which 
induced  her  to  enter.  When  she  reached  the  en 
trance,  she  rapped  gently  at  the  door ;  an  aged  man 
made  his  appearance,  manifesting  great  surprise  on 
seeing  the  youthful  stranger  at  his  lonely  residence, 
at  that  late  hour  of  the  night. 

He  looked  at  the  sorrowful  maiden  with  tenderness 
and  compassion,  who  seemed  apparently  in  great  dis 
tress.  On  seeing  the  kindness  of  the  stranger,  she 
briefly  related  to  him  the  circumstances  which  had 
taken  place  on  that  day. 

He  then  informed  her  that  a  few  hours  before,  a 
young  man,  severely  wounded,  had  been  conveyed 
there  by  some  persons  unknown.  On  hearing  this 
intelligence,  she  immediately  requested  to  see  the 
unfortunate  stranger.  With  feeble  steps  the  aged  man 
conducted  her  through  an  inner  apartment,  where,  on 
entering,  she  beheld  the  form  of  the  sufferer,  stretched 
upon  a  low  bed.  She  hastened  to  the  couch,  gave 
one  glance,  and  found,  alas !  that  her  fears  were  but 
too  true.  She  gazed  a  moment  on  the  pale  and 
emaciated  countenance  of  Lewis  Mortimer,  and 
clasping  her  hands  in  agony,  she  uttered  a  piercing 
shriek  ! 


The  violence  of  her  grief  caused  her  suddenly  to 
awake,  and  to  her  great  surprise,  she  found  herself 
alone,  surrounded  by  midnight  darkness.  After  a  few 
moments  had  elapsed,  Fostina  recalled  to  her  memory 


22  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

where  she  was,  and  discovered  that  she  had  fallen 
asleep,  and  had  been  visited  with  a  most  frightful 
dream.  She  stood  a  moment  in  a  listening  attitude, 
thinking  that  she  heard  the  sound  of  approaching 
footsteps  ;  she  then  turned,  and  beheld  a  dark  figure 
standing  by  her  side,  and  supposing  it  to  be  some  one 
from  the  cottage  in  request  for  her,  she  made  an  effort 
to  speak  without  betraying  any  emotion  caused  by 
her  frightful  dream.  At  that  instant  the  dark  clouds 
which  had  passed  over  the  moon  suddenly  disap 
peared,  causing  it  to  shine  upon  the  form  which  now 
stood  before  the  lonely  maiden,  revealing  to  her 
the  well  known  features  of  Rineldo  Aubrey.  He 
anxiously  inquired  why  she  had  remained  out  at 
such  a  late  hour,  saying  that  her  friends  were  much 
alarmed  for  her  safety,  and  had  sent  him  in  haste  to 
the  Mountain  in  search  for  her.  She  made  but  little 
reply  to  this  remark  from  her  cousin,  and  carefully 
avoided  making  any  allusion  to  her  dream. 

Rineldo  now  took  her  hand,  and  hurriedly  led  the 
way  to  the  cottage.  Her  heart  beat  violently,  and  she 
trembled  in  every  limb.  Her  cousin,  observing  her 
extreme  agitation,  hastened  to  the  house,  where,  on 
entering,  they  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aubrey  anxiously 
awaiting  their  arrival.  After  assuring  them  that  she 
was  safe,  she  hastily  retired  to  her  apartment,  and 
threw  herself  upon  the  couch. 

But  no  rest  came  to  the  poor  maiden ;  all  night  she 
lay  in  deep  meditation.  She  recalled  to  her  memory 
the  dream  which  she  had  while  asleep  on  the  Moun 
tain  ;  each  circumstance  came  up  vividly  before  her 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     23 

imagination,  and  it  seemed  like  a  strange  revelation 
made  known  to  her,  too  awful  to  escape  her  memory. 
She  arose  the  next  morning  at  an  early  hour,  and 
seated  herself  at  an  open  window  which  overlooked  the 
gardens.  Soon  after  her  cousin  came  in,  and  sum 
moned,  her  to  breakfast;  she  arose  and  followed  him 
to  the  apartment  with  assumed  cheerfulness,  and  soon 
after  prepared  herself  to  take  her  accustomed  walk. 
As  she  passed  through  the  avenues  leading  from  the 
cottage,  she  was  joined  by  her  cousin,  who,  with 
great  kindness  in  his  manner,  asked  if  he  should 
accompany  her.  After  some  hesitation  she  con 
sented,  and  they  directed  their  steps  to  the  Mountain, 
which  overlooked  the  Glen.  After  they  had  ascended, 
they  turned  to  take  a  view  of  the  beautiful  scenery 
which  lay  spread  out  before  them.  Fostina  soon 
expressed  a  wish  to  return,  and  her  cousin,  observing 
her  unusual  paleness,  readily  complied  ;  a  few  mo 
ments'  walk  brought  them  again  to  the  cottage,  where 
they  separated,  Fostina  retiring  to  her  chamber, 
where  she  remained  during  the  day. 


24 


FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


CHAPTER    III. 


Rineldo  and  his  Cousin  —  He  seeks  to  win  her  Love  — 
Fostina  makes  known  to  him  her  Love  for  Lewis  Morti 
mer —  Rineldo  tries  to  gain  her  Favor,  and  is  encouraged 
by  his  Parents 

A  FEW  days  after  the  circumstances  occurred  which 
have  been  related  in  the  preceding  chapter,  Fostina 
and  her  cousin  again  met  in  the  parlor.  He  anxiously 
inquired  of  her  if  she  had  received  any  intelligence 
of  her  absent  friends ;  she  informed  him  that  she  had 
not,  but  was  daily  expecting  a  message  from  them. 
She  sighed  deeply,  at  this  allusion  to  her  beloved 
friends,  who  were  now  far  distant  from  her.  She 
leaned  her  head  upon  her  hands  and  wept  bitterly  ; 
her  cousin  endeavored  to  cheer  her  with  words  of 
love  and  tenderness,  and  gently  passing  his  arm 
around  her  waist,  imprinted  a  kiss  upon  her  fair 
cheek.  Fostina  thinking  this  a  bold  intrusion  upon 
the  sacred  cause  of  her  grief,  rose  and  left  the 
apartment. 

The  day  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the  lovely 
maiden  again  wandered  forth  to  visit  the  sacred  spot 
where  slept  her  beloved  fnends.  After  remaining 
there  some  time,  she  returned  and  seated  herself 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     25 

beneath  a  lofty  elm,  which  stood  near  the  cottage, 
and  turning  her  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  Moun 
tain,  she  beheld  Rineldo  approaching,  who,  on  seeing 
his  cousin,  immediately  came  forward  and  seated  him 
self  near  her,  in  the  mean  time,  expressing  great  sur 
prise  that  she  had  again  ventured  out  at  that  late 
hour  alone. 

Fostina  made  but  little  reply,  and  rose  from  her 
seat  to  depart  ;  Rineldo  soon  followed,  not  a  little 
displeased  with  her  seeming  indifference  towards 
him,  and  the  wish  that  she  plainly  manifested  to  avoid 
his  company. 

Fostina  had  ever  treated  her  cousin  with  respect,  and 
regarded  him  as  a  friend  for  the  great  kindness  which 
he  had  ever  manifested  towards  her  since  she  had 
resided  in  her  uncle's  family.  She  now  saw  that,  by 
receiving  his  attentions,  she  was  placing  herself  in  a 
dangerous  situation. 

Rineldo  sought  every  opportunity  to  converse  with 
his  cousin  ;  he  declared  his  love  and  offered  his  hand, 
making  every  effort  to  win  her  affections.  Fostina 
in  a  resolute  and  determined  manner  made  known  to 
him  her  love  for  Lewis  Mortimer,  which  was  forever 
unchangeable.  Rineldo,  on  hearing  this  declaration 
from  the  lips  of  his  cousin,  passed  the  remainder  of 
the  day  in  silence,  and  made  no  farther  allusion  to 
the  subject. 

Towards  evening  Fostina  retired  to  her  apartment, 
and  seated  herself  at  an  open  window  which  over 
looked  the  gardens  belonging  to  the  cottaee.  The 
evening  zephyrs  moved  gently  the  branches  of  a  wil- 

2  * 


26  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

low,  which  shaded  the  window  where  she  was  seated. 
The  lonely  maiden  sat  musing  awhile,  and  then, 
with  a  low,  musical  voice,  she  sang  the  following 
lines  :  — 

"Mournfully,  O,  mournfully, 

This  midnight  wind  doth  sigh ! 
Like  some  sweet,  plaintive  melody 

Of  ages  long  gone  by ; 
It  speaks  a  tale  of  other  years, 

Of  hopes  that  bloomed  to  die  — 
Of  sunny  smiles  that  set  in  tears, 
And  loves  that  mould'ring  lie. 

"  Mournfully,  O,  mournfully, 

This  midnight  wind  doth  moan  ! 
It  stirs  some  chord  of  memory, 

In  each  dull,  heavy  tone ; 
The  voices  of  the  much-loved  dead 

Seem  floating  thereupon ; 
All,  all  my  fond  heart  cherished, 

Ere  death  had  made  it  lone. 

"  Mournfully,  O,  mournfully, 

This  midnight  wind  doth  swell ! 
With  its  quaint,  pensive  minstrelsy, 

Hope's  passionate  farewell : 
To  the  dreamy  joys  of  early  years, 

Ere  yet  grief's  canker  fell 
On  the  heart's  bloom  —  ay,  well  may  tears, 

Start  at  that  parting  knell !" 

On  the  following  morning,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aubrey 
proposed  riding  to  the  village,  arid  expressed  a  wish 
to  have  Fostina  and  Rineldo  accompany  them.  It 
was  with  great  reluctance  that  she  gave  her  consent, 
thinking  that  it  would  be  placing  herself  in  the 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     27 

society  of  her  cousin,  whose  company  she  wished 
to  avoid. 

At  an  early  hour  the  carriage  was  brought  to  the 
door,  and  Mr.  Aubrey  and  his  wife  seating  themselves, 
their  son  hastily  stepping  forward,  and  taking  the 
hand  of  Fostina,  pressed  it  gently  to  his  lips,  while 
with  the  other  he  raised  the  trembling  girl  to  the 
carriage,  and  taking  a  seat  by  her  side,  drove  rapidly 
away. 

They  soon  arrived  at  the  village,  where  they 
stopped  at  the  residence  formerly  owned  by  Mr. 
Aubrey ;  but  since  his  removal  to  the  Mountain,  it 
had  been  occupied  by  a  distant  relative. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  residence  of  their  friend, 
they  were  kindly  welcomed  by  the  family,  who 
appeared  much  delighted  on  seeing  Fostina.  The 
day  passed  on  very  pleasantly',  without  any  important 
occurrence,  and  after  bidding  adieu  to  their  friends 
they  again  returned  home. 

That  evening  Fostina  retired  at  an  early  hour, 
feeling  as  if  her  troubles  were  increased,  and  that 
instead  of  finding  friends,  she  saw  herself  placed 
among  those,  who  she  had  every  reason  to  believe 
would  seek  to  destroy  her  happiness.  The  unceasing 
attention  of  her  cousin,  and  the  encouragement  which 
he  received  from  his  parents  to  forward  his  advances, 
after  she  had  made  known  to  them  her  engagement 
with  Lewis  Mortimer,  deeply  wounded  the  feelings 
of  the  gentle  and  loving  Fostina,  who  now  felt  as  if 
she  was  alone,  as  it  were,  without  a  friend  to  cheer 
her  in  her  forlorn  situation.  She  felt  that  she  could 


28  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

no  longer  repose  confidence  in  those  whom  she  had 
once  considered  friends,  and  to  whose  care  she  had 
been  entrusted  by  her  absent  brothers. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aubrey  observed  the  cool 
indifference  manifested  by  Fostina  towards  their  son, 
their  former  kindness  seemed  changed  to  hatred  and 
revenge.  All  feeling  of  love  and  sympathy,  which 
had  been  so  strongly  manifested,  seemed  forever  lied 
from  their  hearts.  Mr.  Aubrey  appeared  to  have  lost 
all  memory  of  his  departed  sister,  the  mother  of  Fos 
tina,  and  would  shrink  as  if  from  her  presence,  when 
ever  her  name  was  recalled  by  her  lovely  daughter. 

Rineldo  Aubrey  was  their  only  son,  and  had  con 
sequently  received  every  indulgence  from  his  parents; 
and  he  now  thought,  by  exerting  his  influence  over 
them,  he  should  obtain  their  assistance  in  persuading 
Fostina  to  accept  his  offer.  But  when  he  found  that 
all  their  efforts  were  in  vain,  he  devised  every  means 
in  his  power  to  destroy  the  happiness  of  his  cousin. 

He  vainly  endeavored  to  draw  her  mind  from 
Lewis,  and  convince  her  of  the  improbability  of  his 
returning. 

Fostina's  grief,  on  hearing  this  from  her  cousin, 
was  beyond  description ;  she  passed  the  most  of  her 
time  in  retirement,  seldom  joining  the  family  circle, 
and  avoiding  all  conversation  with  them,  as  much  as 
her  circumstances  would  admit ;  and  when  her  situ- 
tion  rendered  it  necessary  for  her  to  be  in  their 
society,  she  met  them  with  calm  indifference  and 
submitted  with  quiet  resignation  to  her  fate,  hoping 
soon  to  receive  intelligence  from  her  absent  friends. 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     29 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Rinddo^s  sudden  Departure — His  Return  —  He  pleads  in 
vain  for  the  Love  of  his  Cousin  —  Sad  Intelligence  and 
the  Death  of  Lewis  Mortimer  —  Fostina^s  Illness. 

IT  was  late  one  evening  that  Rineldo  entered  the 
apartment  where  his  father  was  seated,  and  informed 
him  that  he  had  received  intelligence  from  a  friend 
residing  in  the  country  requesting  to  see  him  imme 
diately  on  business  of  importance.  He  made  known 
his  intention  to  his  parents,  and  accordingly,  on  the 
following  morning,  he  started  on  his  journey,  expect 
ing  to  return  in  a  few  weeks. 

Fostina,  on  hearing  this,  felt  greatly  relieved,  think 
ing  she  should  now  rest  in  peace  and  quietness  during 
his  absence.  But  the  unfortunate  girl  found  no  con 
solation  ;  although  she  was  no  longer  annoyed  by  her 
cousin's  presence,  yet  his  parents  were  constantly 
endeavoring  to  influence  her  in  his  favor,  and  without 
hesitation  informed  her,  that  her  future  happiness 
would  depend  upon  her  marriage  with  their  son.  But 
the  determined  girl,  in  a  firm  and  decided  manner, 
refused  to  comply  with  their  wishes,  in  accepting  the 
proposals  of  her  cousin,  telling  them  that  she  would 


30  FOS.TINA    WOODMAN, 


never  give  her  hand  to  one,  while  another  possessed 
her  love. 

Ririeldo  had  been  absent  several  weeks,  and  Mr. 
Aubrey  began  to  be  somewhat  alarmed  for  his  safety, 
when,  late  one  evening,  as  he  was  riding  to  the  vil 
lage,  he  met  his  son  on  his  return  home.  He  rejoiced 
to  hear  that  he  had  a  safe  arrival,  and  immediately 
turned  arid  hastened  to  the  cottage. 

On  the  following  morning  the  two  cousins  met, 
and  Rineldo  hastily  approached  Fostina,  expressing 
his  joy  on  seeing  her  again  after  his  long  absence. 
To  this  his  cousin  made  little  reply,  and  passed  by 
with  cool  indifference  ;  he  followed,  and,  with  unu 
sual  kindness,  asked  the  pleasure  of  joining  her  in  a 
walk  through  the  gardens.  Fostina  remained  silent, 
and  continued  on  her  way  some  distance  from  the 
cottage.  Seeing  the  coolness  with  which  he  was 
treated,  Rineldo  turned  his  steps  in  another  direction, 
and  after  walking  a  short  distance,  he  seated  himself 
in  a  little  arbor,  apparently  in  deep  thought.  After 
some  time  had  elapsed,  he  returned  to  the  cottage 
and  retired  to  his  chamber. 

At  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  he  hastily  descended 
and  entered  the  parlor  where  Fostina  was  seated. 
With  trembling  steps  he  approached  his  cousin,  hold 
ing  a  paper  in  his  hand  which  had  a  few  moments 
before  been  left  in  his  apartment,  and  directing 
her  attention  to  some  late  intelligence,  requested  her 
to  read  it.  She  took  the  paper  from  his  hand  in 
silence,  and  placing  it  on  the  table  near  her,  rose  to 
depart.  Her  cousin  seeing  her  intention,  immedi- 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     31 

ately  rose  and  left  the  room,  pointing  to  the   paper 
which  lay  on  the  table  as  he  closed  the  door. 

Fostiria,  finding  herself  alone,  returned  to  her  seat 
and  took  the  paper  which  had  been  left,  and  casting 
a  hasty  glance  over  the  contents,  her  eyes  fell  on  the 
following  :  — 

LEWIS    MORTIMER,  of  S ,  died   suddenly   on   board   ship 

Essex,  on  passage  from  Panama  to  California. 

The  paper  dropped  from  her  hand,  and  uttering  a 
loud  shriek,  the  distracted  girl  fell  senseless  from  her 
seat. 

Rineldo,  on  leaving  the  room,  had  returned  to  his 
apartment,  where  his  parents  were  seated,  who,  on 
hearing  the  alarm,  rushed  to  the  parlor,  where  they 
discovered  Fostina  lying  insensible  on  the  floor. 

He  made  known  to  them  the  supposed  cause  of  her 
grief,  and  hastily  summoning  a  servant,  assisted  in 
bearing  the  apparently  lifeless  form  of  his  cousin 
to  her  apartment. 

Mr.  Aubrey  immediately  brought  restoratives,  but 
there  was  little  hope  of  again  rousing  the  conscious 
ness  of  the  unfortunate  sufferer. 

Towards  evening  he  called  in  a  physician,  who,  on 
seeing  the  patient,  expressed  his  fears,  which  greatly 
alarmed  the  family.  He  remained  several  hours 
anxiously  watching  over  his  patient,  who  now  seemed 
to  be  in  a  state  of  delirium,  occasionally  starting 
as  if  from  a  sudden  fright,  and  calling  for  Lewis 
Mortimer. 

The  physician,  on  being  informed  of  the  cause  of  her 


32  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

sudden  illness,  expressed  his  belief  that  her  strength 
had  been  greatly  reduced  by  trouble  and  anxiety  of 
mind,  together  with  the  sudden  shock  she  had  re 
ceived,  and  her  recovery  was  doubtful. 

Rineldo,  on  hearing  this,  seemed  greatly  alarmed, 
and  with  unceasing  attention  continued  to  watch  over 
his  cousin/  She  had  remained  delirious  during  the 
night,  and  towards  morning  the  physician  took  his 
leave.  On  the  following  day  she  appeared  more 
calm,  and  apparently  sunk  into  a  quiet  slumber  ;  at 
the  close  of  the  afternoon  she  suddenly  started,  and 
gazing  wildly  around,  seemed  conscious  of  her  un 
happy  situation.  She  lay  a  few  moments  as  if  to 
convince  herself  of  its  reality,  and  then  buried  her 
face  in  her  hands,  weeping  bitter  tears  of  agony. 
Her  cousin  attempted  to  soothe  her  grief,  but  she 
motioned  him  from  the  apartment.  Soon  after  the 
physician  entered,  and  expressed  his  joy  on  seeing 
his  patient  recovering. 

For  several  days  she  lay  without  making  any 
allusion  to  the  death  of  Lewis,  and  bore  her  grief 
in  silence ;  it  seemed  now  as  if  the  last  ray  of  hope 
was  extinguished,  and  she  well  knew  that  Rineldo 
would  take  advantage  of  her  lonely  situation  to 
renew  his  former  addresses. 

Several  weeks  had  passed  away  since  Fostina  had 
received  the  sad  news  of  Lewis  Mortimer's  death,  and 
she  had  now  so  far  recovered  her  health  as  to  sit  by 
the  window  of  her  lonely  apartment.  One  morning, 
as  she  was  seated  near  the  door,  gazing  at  the  beauti 
ful  scenery  which  surrounded  the  cottage,  she  beheld 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     33 

i   -  .. 

_ 

the  stranger  who  now  occupied  her  uncle's  residence 
in  the  village,  conversing  with  Mr.  Aubrey.  He  soon 
after  entered  the  cottage,  and  when  he  beheld  the 
great  change  in  Fostina's  countenance,  he  seemed 
greatly  surprised,  and  expressed  his  grief  on  seeing 
her  look  so  ill.  Soon  after  he  departed,  her  cousin 
entered,  and  taking  the  hand  of  Fostina,  pressed  it  to 
his  bosom,  at  the  same  time,  seating  himself  near  her, 
again  declared  his  unchangeable  love,  and  offered  her 
his  hand.  She  told  him  that  if  Lewis  Mortimer  was 
dead,  none  other  should  ever  possess  her  love,  and 
she  should  regard  him  with  no  other  feeling  than 
friendship.  Rineldo,  seeing  her  determination,  arose 
and  departed,  leaving  his  cousin  alone  in  her  apart 
ment. 


The  next  morning,  Fostina  prepared  herself,  for  the 
first  time  since  her  illness,  to  visit  once  more  the 
burial  place  of  her  friends.  With  feeble  steps  she 


84 


F OS TIN A    WOODMAN, 


passed  slowly  on,  until  she  arrived  at  the  spot,  where 
she  seated  herself  beneath  the  shade  of  the  willows 
which  waved  in  the  morning  breeze,  sighing  mourn 
fully  as  they  swept  by  the  sorrowful  maiden,  who 
was  now  seated  by  the  tomb,  where  slept  the  loved 
and  cherished  ones.  Here  she  remained  for  some 
time,  as  if  holding  communion  with  the  spirits  of 
the  departed  and  revealing  to  them  her  sad  fate. 
She  summoned  all  her  courage  and  fortitude  to  meet 
whatever  awaited  her  in  the  future,  and  then  with 
an  effort  she  rose  from  her  seat  and  returned  to  the 
cottage. 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER. 


CHAPTER   V. 

Fostina  goes  to  the  Village —  Deception   Unmasked  -     The 
Mystery  Revealed  —  Postina  makes  her  Escape. 

ONE  lovely  morning,  a  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door 
of  the  cottage  in  the  Mountain  Glen.  The  coach 
man  alighted,  and  hastily  approaching  the  door,  rang 
the  bell,  which  was  answered  by  Mr.  Aubrey.  He 
informed  him  that  he  had  been  ordered  there  with  a 
carriage  by  the  physician  to  take  a  young  lady  to  the 
village,  at  the  same  time  taking  a  note  from  his 
pocket  and  inquiring  for  Miss  Woodman.  Fostina 
had  been  seated  near  the  window  of  her  room,  while 
this  conversation  took  place,  and  on  hearing  the 
inquiry  of  the  coachman,  immediately  made  her  ap 
pearance  at  the  door}  and  received  the  note  from  the 
stranger. 

She  hastened  to  her  room  and  perused  the  contents, 
which  she  found  to  be  an  invitation  extended  to  her 
by  the  friend  of  her  uncle,  requesting  her  to  come 
and  spend  a  few  weeks  at  his  residence  in  the  village. 

Fostina  with  pleasure  accepted  the  invitation  of 
her  friend,  thinking  that  for  a  short  time,  at  least,  she 
should  be  relieved  from  the  annoyances  of  her  uncle's 
family.  She,  therefore,  without  hesitation,  prepared 


36  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

herself,  and  in  a  few  moments  was  at  the  door  of 
the  carriage,  which  she  entered  in  silence,  without 
making  known  her  intention  to  any  of  the  family. 

In  a  few  hours  the  horses  suddenly  stopped,  and 
the  driver  springing  from  his  seat,  threw  open  the 
door  of  the  carriage,  and  Fostina  with  joy  discovered 
that  she  had  reached  the  home  of  her  friend,  who 
soon  made  his  appearance  and  conducted  her  into  the 
hall,  where  she  was  kindly  welcomed  by  the  family 
as  the  beautiful  maiden  of  the  Mountain  Glen. 

It  was  not  long  before  a  servant  entered,  followed 
by  the  physician  who  attended  Fostina  during  her 
illness;  he  met  "her  with  a  graceful  bow,  and  ex 
pressed  his  joy  on  seeing  her  restored  to  health. 

The  day  passed  very  pleasantly  away,  and  towards 
evening  a  servant  entered  the  parlor  where  Fostina 
was  seated,  and  motioned  her  in  silence  to  accompany 
her.  She  arose  and  followed  the  girl,  who  conducted 
her  through  several  apartments,  and  then  ascended 
into  a  room  above,  and  passing  through  a  long  en 
trance,  arrived  at  the  door  of  a  retired  part  of  the 
dwelling.  After  some  hesitation,  the  servant  gently 
opened  the  door,  and  invited  her  to  enter ;  she  obeyed 
the  summons,  and  the  girl  hastily  retreated.  As  she" 
entered,  who  should  meet  her  astonished  gaze,  but 
Rineldo  Aubrey,  seated  on  a  sofa?  She  uttered  an 
exclamation  of  surprise,  and  turned  towards  the  door, 
which  she  found,  to  her  extreme  horror,  had  been 
locked  by  the  servant. 

She  now  turned  and  demanded  of  him  an  expla 
nation  of  this  mysterious  conduct.  He  rose  from 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     37 


his  seat,  and  walked  to  his  cousin,  bade  her  be  calm, 
and  lie  would  tell  her  all. 

He  then  turned  and  parted  the  rich  damask  cur 
tains,  whic.i  hung  in  heavy  folds  from  the  windows. 
The  apartment  was  furnished  in  the  most  elegant 
style,  and  a  large  table  was  placed  in  the  centre, 
loaded  with  rich  viands  ;  bottles  of  sparkling  wine 
were  placed  upon  the  table,  its  crimson  dye  forming 
a  striking  contrast  with  the  rare  fruits  which  sur 
rounded  it. 

Rineldo  approached  the  table,  and  filling  a  glass 
from  one  of  the  bottles,  drank  at  the  health  of  his 
fair  cousin  ;  then  placing  a  seat  at  the  table,  requested 
her  to  partake  with  him  the  repast  which  had  been 
prepared  for  the  occasion.  Fostina  made  no  reply  to 
this  daring  outrage,  but  seated  herrseif  in  silence  by 
an  open  window,  and  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears. 
She  now  trembled  for  her  safety,  fearing  that  some 
awful  plot  had  been  arranged  by  her  enemies,  and 
was  soon  to  be  put  into  execution. 

Rineido  now  approached  his  cousin,  and  spoke  in 
a  low  and  firm  voice.  "  Beautiful  maiden  of  the 
Mountain  Glen  !  You  are  soon  to  be  the  bride  of 
Rineldo  Aubrey,  and  this  will  henceforth  be  your 
home.  Fair  girl,  make  no  denial."  "Never!"  replied 
the  heroic  girl,  springing  from  her  seat,  and  demand 
ing  him  to  open  the  door.  "  Not  until  you  have 
consented  to  become  the  bride  of  Rineldo  Aubrey," 
cried  a  voice  without ;  "  until  then  this  room  shall 
be  your  prison,  and  nought  shall  set  you  free !  " 

It  was  late,  and   Rineldo,  taking   a  key  from   his 


38 


FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


pocket,  unlocked  the  door,  and  bidding  his  cousin 
good  night,  he  withdrew  from  the  apartment. 

Fostina  was  now  left  alone  to  meditate  upon 
her  forlorn  situation ;  she  thought  her  doom  was 
sealed  forever.  Must  she  be  compelled  to  unite  her 
self  with  one  whom  she  could  never  love  ?  One  who 
had  sought  by  his  treacherous  means  to  destroy  her 
happiness,  and  who  had  betrayed  the  confidence  of 
her  friends  in  executing  his  subtle  plans. 

She  knew  there  was  but  one  alternative  j  could 
she  escape  ?  If  so,  she  might  free  herself  from  her 
enemies,  who  now  sought  to  ruin  her  happiness. 

She  rose,  and  walked  to  the  windows ;  they  had 
been  secured  ;  two  doors  which  led  from  the  apart 
ment  were  also  carefully  locked.  She  again  went 
to  the  windows,  but  it  was  midnight  darkness  with 
out  ;  she  then  seated  herself  upon  the  sofa,  and 
calmly  awaited  her  doom.  Sleep  forsook  her  once 
bright  eyes,  which  now  were  dimmed  with  tears, 
while,  with  patient  resignation  to  her  fate,  she  awaited 
the  return  of  morning.  The  lamp  shone  dimly  over 
the  apartment,  casting  its  glimmering  rays  upon  the 
rich  tapestry  that  hung  from  the  walls  around  her. 
There  in  youthful  innocence  sat  the  once  loved  and 
loving  Fostina. 

Morning  came  ;  it  was  lovely  ;  the  sky  was  clear, 
the  dewdrop  glistened  in  the  sun,  and  the  sweet 
music  of  the  birds  made  the  welkin  ring  ;  but  still 
the  lonely  maiden  sat.  Sadness  and  gloom  were 
spread  over  her  pale  countenance,  and  the  expression 
of  deep  sorrow  rested  upon  her  features. 


THE    WONDERFUL    ADVENTURER.  39 

The  day  passed  slowly  on  without  any  intrusion 
upon  her  grief,  until  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  when 
Rineldo  again  entered  the  apartment,  followed  by  his 
father,  who  informed  her  that  the  day  was  fixed  for 
her  marriage  with  his  son,  and  bade  her  prepare  for 
the  coming  event.  He  then  retired,  leaving  Rineldo 
alone  with  his  cousin  ;  he  remained  until  a  late  hour, 
and  again  taking  his  leavo,  hastily  left  the  room. 

Fostina  was  now  placed  in  the  most  trying  situa 
tion,  her  only  remaining  hope  was  the  slight  possi 
bility  of  escape.  She  waited  in  silence  until  the 
sound  of  voices  had  ceased  in  the  rooms  below ; 
she  then  rose,  and  went  to  the  windows  ;  they 
were  secured,  and  all  was  darkness  without,  as  the 
evening  before.  No  light  could  be  seen,  and  silence 
reigned  throughout  the  village.  She  hastened  to  the 
door,  and  what  was  her  inexpressible  joy,  to  find  that 
Rineldo  in  his  haste  had  left  the  key  remaining  in  the 
lock !  Hope  now  filled  her  breast  and  gave  her 
courage  to  surmount  all  difficulties,  which  might  be 
fall  her  in  effecting  her  escape.  With  trembling 
hands  she  opened  the  door,  and,  listening  a  moment, 
she  passed  on  through  the  entrance  leading  from  the 
chamber.  She  then  noiselessly  descended  the  stairs, 
and  after  convincing  herself  that  all  was  silent,  she 
groped  her  way  through  the  midnight  darkness,  until 
she  reached  the  door  of  the  hall,  which  she  found 
unclosed.  She  hastened  through,  now  fearing  that 
the  door  of  the  entrance  was  in  all  probability  closely 
secured.  On  approaching  it,  she  found,  to  her  great 
delight,  that  it  was  bolted  on  the  inside  ;  she  listened 


40  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

again,  but  no  sound  was  heard  j  then  sliding  the  bolt, 
she  opened  the  door  and  stepped  forth  into  the  open 
air. 

Fostina  now  felt  herself  free  from  the  iron  grasp 
of  her  enemies ;  but  should  she  be  overtaken  !  — 
the  thought  startled  her.  She  gazed  wildly  around, 
but  no  one  was  to  be  seen  or  heard  in  the  village, 
and  hastening  to  the  street  she  walked  with  hurried 
steps  in  the  direction  of  the  Mountain.  She  knew, 
from  the  conversation  the  evening  previous,  that  her 
uncle's  family  were  at  the  house  of  their  friend, 
and,  that  if  she  succeeded  in  reaching  the  cottage, 
she  might  effect  her  escape  without  fear  of  being 
discovered. 

Urged  on  by  necessity  and  the  feeling  of  hope 
which  now  filled  her  breast,  the  courageous  girl  fled 
swiftly  on  until  until  she  reached  the  cottage,  without 
encountering  any  dangers.  She  hastened  to  the  door, 
which  she  found  was  closely  barred  ;  then  going  to 
the  window  of  her  apartment,  she  succeeded  in  rais 
ing  it  far  enough  to  gain  admittance.  But  her  situa 
tion  grew  still  more  alarming  ;  it  would  not  be  safe 
for  her  to  remain  at  the  cottage,  for  she  well  knew 
that  her  uncle,  as  soon  as  they  discovered  that  she 
had  made  her  escape,  would  probably  return  to  the 
cottage,  and  if  there,  she  must  again  fall  a  victim  to 
their  treachery. 

The  idea  now  flashed  across  her  mind,  that  if 
dressed  in  disguise,  she  might  possibly  escape  her 
pursuers.  With  this  bold  determination,  the  heroic 
girl  hastened  to  her  brother's  wardrobe,  and  taking 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     41 

a  suit  of  clothes,  soon  perfected  her  disguise.  She 
then  procured  a  valise  belonging  to  one  of  her 
brothers,  and  hastily  packing  a  suit  of  her  own 
apparel,  together  with  a  few  valuable  articles  which 
had  been  given  to  her  by  Lewis,  took  the  portrait 
of  her  departed  mother,  and  placed  it  in  her  bosom. 

She  now  hastened  from  the  cottage,  closing  the 
window  through  which  she  had  entered,  and  turned 
her  steps  towards  the  Mountain ;  and  approaching  the 
brink  of  the  precipice,  she  took  the  apparel  that  she 
had  worn  from  the  village  in  making  her  escape,  and 
which  she  had  also  taken  with  her  on  her  departure 
from  the  cottage,  and  casting  it  into  the  waters  be 
neath  the  Mountain,  hastened  from  the  spot. 

With  deep  thoughtfulness,  and  great  presence  of 
mind,  the  noble  girl  thought  that  her  enemies  would 
search  the  Mountain  in  their  pursuit,  and  on  seeing  a 
part  of  her  clothing  floating  in  the  waters  below  the 
precipice,  would  suppose  her  to  be  drowned,  and  she 
would  then  be  enabled  to  escape  with  safety. 

Having  thus  far  accomplished  her  purpose,  she 
descended  the  Mountain,  and  as  the  morning  was 
fast  approaching,  she  feared  to  enter  the  public 
streets,  and  taking  an  unfrequented  path  which  led 
through  the  forest,  she  was  soon  far  distant  from 
her  native  village. 

Here  we  will  leave  the  lovely  Fostina,  who  had 
so  far  bravely  effected  her  escape,  and  return  to  her 
uncle's  residence  in  the  village,  T/here  slept  her 
treacherous  enemies,  thinking  their  victim  was  now 
safe  within  the  hall  of  security. 


42  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Rineldo' s  Surprise  —  Mr.  Aubrey  and  his  8071  go  in  Pur 
suit  of  Fostind  —  Visit  to  the  Mountain  and  Cottage  — 
Horrible  Discovery  -~-  End  of  their  Search. 

ON  the  following  morning,  the  family  rose  at  an  early 
hour,  and  hastily  set  about  making  preparations  for 
the  marriage  of  the  two  cousins,  which  was  to  take 
place  on  that  day.  Rineldo  arrayed  himself  in 
costly  apparel,  and  ascended  to  the  room  of  his 
intended  bride.  On  reaching  the  door,  what  was  his 
surprise  to  find  it  open,  and  the  key  remaining  in  the 
lock!  He  now  recollected  that  he  had  forgotten  to 
take  it  on  the  evening  before,  and  rushing  into  the 
apartment,  and  finding  his  cousin  was  not  there,  he 
hastened  below  and  informed  his  parents,  who  imme 
diately  searched  the  house,  but  in  vain.  The  family 
then  readily  concluded  that  Postina  had  returned 
home.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Aubrey,  accompanied  by 
his  son  directed  his  way  to  the  cottage,  but  when 
they  arrived  no  traces  could  be  seen  of  the  lost  one. 
They  then  hastened  to  the  Mountain,  closely  exam 
ining  every  place  for  concealment,  but  Fostina  could 
not  be  found.  Rineldo  then  walked  to  the  side  of 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     43 

the  Mountain,  and  glancing  into  the  waters  below, 
beheld  a  shawl  belonging  to  his  cousin,  floating  upon 
the  surface.  He  instantly  gave  the  alarm  to  his 
father,  who  immediately  rushed  to  the  spot,  where 
he  discovered  that  the  fears  of  his  son  were  but  too 
true. 

With  all  the  horrors  of  an  upbraiding  conscience, 
the  father  and  son  now  returned  to  the  cottage. 
Rineldo,  with  grief  and  terror  filling  his  distracted 
mind,  hastily  retired  to  his  room,  feeling  that  by  his 
treacherous  plans,  he  had  caused  the  untimely  death 
of  his  cousin.  He  felt  that  in  seeking  to  destroy 
the  happiness  of  another,  he  had  committed  deeds 
of  the  darkest  hue,  and  must  now  live  a  miserable 
existence  for  his  awful  crimes. 

Mr.  Aubrey,  too,  felt  the  reproval  of  a  guilty  con 
science  ;  remorse  took  possession  of  his  breast,  and 
he  beheld  in  his  imagination  the  form  of  his  de 
parted  sister  standing  before  him,  threatening  ven 
geance  upon  the  murderers  of  her  child.  And  the 
agonizing  voice  of  Lewis  Mortimer  and  her  brothers 
seemed  borne  to  him  in  every  breeze  across  the  ocean, 
from  a  foreign  land,  calling  on  Heaven  to  avenge  the 
wrongs  of  their  beloved  Fostina. 


44  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Fos/tina  pursues  her  way  through  an  unknown  Country  — 
She  stops  at  the  Village  Inn  —  Conversation  letween  the 
Landlord  and  Coachman  —  Fostina  again  appears  in  the 
Dress  of  a  Female — Her  Departure. 

LET  us  now  turn  to  the  beautiful  maiden  of  the 
Mountain  Glen,  whom  we  left  on  the  morning  after 
her  escape,  pursuing  her  lonely  way  through  the 
dismal  forest. 

Morning  dawned,  and  all  Nature  seemed  animated 
with  its  approach  ;  the  birds  sang  merrily  in  the 
forest,  as  if  to  cheer  the  lonely  traveller,  who  was  now 
many  miles  distant  from  her  Mountain  home.  She 
soon  reached  an  opening  in  the  forest,  from  which 
she  saw  an  extensive  plain.  Urged  on  by  the  dan 
gers  which  surrounded  her,  Fostina  hastened  on  her 
way,  sometimes  wandering  along  the  forest,  then 
again  through  a  strange  and  unknown  country. 

The  day  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close,  the  sun  had 
sunk  beneath  the  western  horizon,  the  shadows  of 
evening  began  to  appear,  and  Fostina,  weary  and 
fatigued,  had  now  entered  a  small  but  thickly  settled 
village.  With  hurried  steps  she  continued  her  way, 
until  she  arrived  at  the  inn.  Here  she  entered,  and 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     45 

calling  for  a  private  apartment,  was  soon  conducted 
by  the  landlord  into  a  neatly  furnished  room. 

After  partaking  of  some  little  refreshment,  Fostina 
summoned  the  servant,  and  taking  a  heavy  purse- 
from  her  valise,  which  she  had  taken  on  her  depart 
ure  from  the  cottage,  she  placed  a  large  portion  of 
the  contents  in  the  hands  of  the  servant,  saying  she 
should  depart  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning. 

Fostina  was  now  left  alone,  and  thinking  herself 
safe  beyond  the  reach  of  her  enemies,  she  threw  her 
self  upon  the  couch  to  rest.  Soon  after,  her  atten 
tion  was  arrested  by  the  heavy  tramp  of  horses,  and 
a  carriage  approach  the  door  of  the  inn.  The  bell 
immediately  rang,  and  the  servant  announced  the 
arrival  of  the  stage,  and  then  for  a  while,  all  was 
again  silent. 

Fostina  now  sank  into  a  profound  slumber,  from 
which  she  was  suddenly  awakened  by  the  sound  of 
voices  in  an  adjoining  room.  Curiosity  induced  her 
to  listen,  and  she  discovered  that  the  landlord  and 
coachman  were  engaged  in  earnest  conversation  from 
which  she  gathered  the  following. 

The  driver   informed   him   that,  on  riding  through 

the. village  of  S  that  evening,  he  was  told  that 

a  mysterious  circumstance  had  taken  place  on  that 
morning  ;  —  that  a  young  lady,  residing  at  the  cottage 
in  the  Glen,  had  been  drowned  in  the  waters  below 
the  Mountain,  either  intentionally,  or  by  a  fall  from 
the  precipice.  It  was  also  reported  that  the  friends 
of  the  unfortunate  female  had  been  absent  on  a 
voyage  to  California,  and  a  short  time  since,  she  had 


46  FOSTINA    WOODMAN, 

received  intelligence  of  their  sudden  death.  This 
was  soon  followed  by  a  long  illness,  which  left  the 
sufferer  a  victim  to  insanity. 

The  landlord  expressed  his  grief,  on  hearing  this 
sad  communication,  and  Fostina  now  had  the  conso 
lation  of  knowing  that  the  impression  was  left  upon 
the  minds  of  her  uncle's  family  that  she  was  drowned 
near  the  Mountain  ;  and  feeling  still  more  safe  than 
before,  she  composed  herself  and  again  fell  asleep. 
No  other  sound  disturbed  the  fair  sleeper  during  the 
night  ;  and  at  an  early  hour,  the  following  morning, 
she  awoke  greatly  refreshed. 

She  hastily  arose,  and  taking  her  apparel  from 
her  valise,  replaced  her  brother's  instead,  and  again 
arrayed  herself  in  female  attire.  Then,  without 
summoning  a  servant,  she  left  the  apartment,  and 
entered  the  street,  where  she  immediately  took  her  r 
seat  in  the  stage,  which  rolled  rapidly  away  from 
the  inn. 


THE  WONDERFU^  ADVENTURER.      47 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Fostina  continues  on  her  Journey —  She  arrives  at  a  dis 
tant  Country  Village  —  A  Walk  in  the  Forest  —  Visit  to 
the  Castle  —  Mistaken  Friends  —  A  Mystery  —  Strange- 
Discovery  —  Mysteries  Revealed  —  The  Result. 

FOSTINA  continued  on  her  journey  for  several  days, 
riding  most  of  her  way  in  the  stage  coach,  and  stop 
ping  at  the  public  inns  at  night. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  to  our  young 
adventurer,  until  nearly  two  weeks  had  passed  away 
since  her  departure.  She  was  now  a  great  distance 
from  her  native  village  ;  and  thinking  herself  far  be 
yond  the  reach  of  her  enemies,  she  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  she  could  now  rest  in  safety,  without 
fear  of  being  molested.  Far  from  her  native  home, 
where  the  sound  of  no  familiir  voice  met  her  ear, 
without  a  kindred  friend  to  sympathize  with  her  in 
her  lonely  situation,  roamed  "the  beautiful  maiden  of 
the  Mountain  Glen,  to  seek  a  home  in  a  stranger's 
land. 

It  was  a  cold  and  rainy  afternoon,  and  Fostina  had 
been  riding  for  some  hours  through  a  country  vil 
lage,  when  the  coach  suddenly  stopped,  and  the  pas 
sengers,  among  whom  was  our  lovely  heroine,  hast- 


48  FOSTINA    WOOD  MAN, 

I 


ened  to  the  inn.  Here  she  remained  for  some  days, 
where  she  received  great  attention  and  kindness  from 
the  landlady,  who,  either  from  curiosity  or  friend 
ship,  appeared  greatly  interested  in  the  young  stranger 
whose  arrival  in  the  village  Jiad  excited  the  wonder 
and  surprise  of  all  the  inhabitants,  and  had  now 
become  the  object  of  inquiry  of  all  who  looked  on 
her  pale,  but  lovely  countenance,  which  wore  the 
expressions  of  deep  sorrow.  Since  her  arrival  she 
had  passed  the  most  of  her  time  in  the  solitude  of 
her  apartment,  occasionally  wandering  forth  to  a  more 
retired  part  of  the  village. 

It  was  at  the  close  of  a  pleasant  afternoon,  that 
Fostina  had  ventured  out  some  distance  from  the  vil 
lage,  ancj,  taking  a  retired  path  which  led  through 
the  forest,  she  pursued  her  way  a  great  distance  in 
thoughtful  meditation.  Night  came  on  before  she 
was  aware  of  its  approach,  and  she  hastily  turned  to 
retrace  her  steps ;  she  wandered  on  for  some  distance, 
but  could  see  no  opening  in  the  deep  forest  which 
surrounded  her.  It  was  late,  and  she  knew  not  what 
course  to  pursue.  She  feared  it  would  not  be  safe 
for  her  to  remain  in  the  forest,  and  yet  there  was 
no  probability  of  her  reaching  the  village  that  night. 

She  stood  a  few  moments  in  silence,  and  then 
turning  in  another  direction,  she  discovered  a  hill  at 
some  distance,  to  which  she  immediately  directed  her 
steps.  On  arriving  there,  she  hastily  ascended,  and 
on  reaching  the  top,  discovered  lights  about  a  mile 
distant.  Armed  with  fresh  courage  and  resolution, 
she  now  descended  and  made  her  way  through  the 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     49 

forest,  when,  on  approaching   the  spot,  she  saw  what 
appeared   to  be  the  ruins   of  an  ancient  castle. 


Cuiiosity  led  her  to  a  closer  examination,  when 
she  again  saw  lights  issue  from  several  windows  ; 
this  confirmed  her  in  the  belief  that  some  part  of  the 
buildiag  was  inhabited.  She  then  entered  the  gate, 
which  led  to  the  entrance,  and  gently  rapped  at  the 
door;  an  elderly  \voni aji  made  her  appearance,  seem 
ing  somewhat  alarmed.  Fostina  informed  her  that 
she  had  lost  her  way,  in  returning  to  the  village,  and 
seeing  the  light  in  the  forest,  she  had  succeeded  in 
finding  their  residence.  The  good  lady,  after  hearing 
the  story  of  the  young  stranger,  bade  her  walk  in 
and  be  welcome,  • 

With  trembling  steps  Fostina  entered  the  castle, 
and  following  on  through  a  long  entrance,  she  found 
herself  in  the  presence  of  several  persons,  who  were 
seated  in  a  small  but  neatly  furnished  apartment. 
On  being  conducted  into  the  room,  Fostina  found 
herself  kindly  received  by  the  family,  and  after 
I  = - 


'•'• 


50  FOSTINA     WOODMAN, 

briefly  relating  to  them  the  circumstances,  the  kind 
lady  immediately  summoned  the  servant,  and  a  table 
was  quickly  spread  before  the  stranger. 

Alter  partaking  of  the  repast  which  had  been  pre 
pared,  Fostina  remained  a  while  with  the  family,  and 
then  obeying  the  signal  of  Mrs.  Cameron,  her  friend, 
she  was  conducted  through  a  long  suite  of  apart 
ments,  and  entering  a  small  retired  room,  bade  her 
good  night. 

Fostina,  being  left  alone,  consoled  herself  with  the 
idea  that  she  was  now  among  friends.  She  gazed 
With  feelings  of  curiosity  mingled  with  surprise,  on 
seeing  the  extreme  neatness  and  great  taste  which 
had  been  displayed,  in  the  arrangement  of  furniture 
and  other  articles,  in  the  apartments  through  which 
she  had  passed,  and  wondered  why  this  place  of  se 
clusion  had  been  chosen  by  her  new-made  friends. 

The  exterior  of  the  building  bore  an  ancient  ap 
pearance,  and  a  part  seemed  to  have  already  fallen 
to  ruins,  while  the  interior  appeared  to  have  been 
lately  repaired,  and  well  fitted  up  for  the  comfort  and 
convenience  of  its  present  occupants. 

Fostina,  after  recalling  to  her  memory  the  circum 
stances  of  the  preceding  day,  soon  composed  herself, 
and  fell  into  a^quiet  slumber. 

On  the  following  morning,  when  she  awoke,  the 
sun  had  risen,  and  the  walls  of  the  tower  echoed 
with  the  sound  of  bells.  She  arose,  and  hastily  pre 
paring  herself,  was  soon  summoned  to  breakfast  with 
the  family,  which  consisted  of  Mr.  Cameron,  his  wife, 
and  servant. 


THE  WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     51 

After  remaining  some  time.  Fostina  made  known 
her  intention  to  depart,  upon  which  Mr.  Cameron 
in-juired  it'  she  was  a  resident  of  the  village.  She 
informed  them  that  she  was  a  stranger  in  the  place, 
and  had  stopped  at  the  village  inn.  where  she  had 
been  hut  a  few  days. 

Oil  hearing  this,  tiie  family  with  great  earnestness 
urged  her  to  remain  with  them  ;  Fostina  gratefully 
accepted  the  invitation,  and,  at  their  request,  promised 
to  take  up  her  abode  in  this  retired  spot  during  the 
coming  winter,  thinking,  in  this  secluded  place,  she 
might  pass  her  time  in  jy-ace  and  quietness,  free  from 
care  and  anxiety. 

Weeks  passed  away,  and  Fostina  continued  to  re 
main  at  the  castle,  much  pleased  with  her  new  home. 
During  this  time  she  had  not  revealed  any  thing 
connected  with  her  history,  to  her  friends,  who  had 
never  made  any  allusion  to  the  subject.  Although 
Fostina  had  often  observed  that  there  was  something 
mysterious  in  the  conduct  of  the  family,  yet  they 
had  always  treated  her  with  the  greatest  kindness. 

It  was  late  one  evening,  soon  after  the  family 
had  retired,  that  the  sound  of  voices  was  heard, 
and  footsteps  approaching  the  castle,  followed  by  a 
loud  rapping  at  the  door,  which  was  immediately 
opened  by  Mr.  Cameron,  who,  on  hearing  the  alarm, 
hastened  to  answer  the  call.  Soon  after,  persons 
were  heard  entering,  and  descending  into  a  lower 
room. 

Fostina,  trembling  with  fear,  hastily  arose,  and  was 
on  the  point  of  rushing  to  the  apartment  of  Mrs. 


52  FOSTINA     WOODMAN, 

Cameron,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  disturbance. 
But  the  fear  of  encountering  some  one  in  the  pas 
sage,  caused  her  to  remain  sileut.  She  listened,  and 
distinctly  heard  the  voices  of  several  persons  con- 
versing  in  a  low  tone.  A  few  moments  elapsed,  all 
was  silent ;  she  then  retired,  but  not  to  rest  ;  the 
circumstances  which  had  taken  place  that  night, 
together  with  the  fact  that  the  disturbance  had 
caused  no  .excitement  in  the  family,  gave  Fostina 
great  cause  for  alarm.  She  lay  in  breathless  anxiety 
until  past  midnight,  when  she  heard  the  same 
persons  ascend  from  below,  and  take  their  de 
parture. 

At  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  Fostina  entered 
the  hall,  whore  she  met  Mrs.  Cameron,  and  inquired 
into  the  mystery  of  the  proceedings  the  evening  pre 
vious.  She  informed  her  that  report  had  long  been 
current  that  the  castle  was  haunted,  and  as  she  had 
often  heard  the  same  disturbance  during  the  night, 
she  was  confirmed  in  the  belief  that  it  was  so. 

Fostina  could  scarcely  credit  this  intelligence,  but 
made  no  farther  inquiries  upon  the  subject. 

The  day  passed  heavily  away,  and  Fostina  observed 
that  her  friends  were  unusually  silent.  Toward 
evening,  Mrs.  Cameron  entered  the  room  where  she  was 
sitting,  and  asked  if  she  would  prefer  a  more  retired 
room,  where  she  could  feel  secure,  if  again  they 
should  be  troubled  with  any  supernatural  visitations. 
She  then  ascended  into  a  distant  part  of  the  castle, 
and  entering  a  small  room,  told  Fostina  not  to  give 
herself  any  uneasiness,  as  she  thought  she  might  rest 


THE  WONDERFUL  ALVENTURF"      53 


there  without  fear  of  being  disturbed.  She  then 
closed  the  door  and  descended  the  stairs,  leaving 
Fostina  alone  in  her  apartment. 

Alter  retiring,  she  soon  fell  asleep,  and  lay  for  sev 
eral  hours,  until  she  was  suddenly  awakened  by  a 
repetition  of  the  same  noise  which  she  had  heard  the 
evening  previous.  She  listened,  and  could  hear  the 
sound  of  persons  traversing  the  hall  ;  but  being  now 
farther  distant,  she  was  unable  to  hear  the  conver 
sation. 

She  listened  attentively,  as  if  to  catch  the  sound 
of  their  voices,  when  her  attention  was  suddenly 
arrested  by  a  faint  groan,  seemingly  not  far  distant 
from  where  she  lay. 

She  now  believed  herself  to  be  surrounded  with 
the  spirits  of  the  departed.  But  not  fearing  any  dan 
ger  from  this  source,  * .  gain  composed  herself,  and 
raising  her  head  from  ;  .3  pillow,  looked  anxiously 
around  the  apartment,  when,  to  her  extreme  horror, 
she  discovered  a  light  issuing  from  a  small  opening 
in  the  ceiling  above  ! 

She  made  an  effort  to  rise,  that  she  might  discover 
some  cause  for  its  appearance,  when,  to  her  great  sur 
prise,  she  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps  in  the  apart 
ment  above,  followed  by  a  long-suppressed  groan  ! 

Fostina  remained  motionless,  and  could  scarcely 
realize  the  loneliness  of  her  situation  ;  she  arose,  and 
after  pacing  the  room  for  some  time  in  silence,  seated 
herself  on  the  sofa,  anxiously  awaiting  the  return  of 
morning. 

Nearly  two  hours  had  passed  away  in  silence,  and     |k 

6* 


54  FOS  TINA    WOODMAN, 

Fostina  rose  from  her  seat  and  walked  to  the  window  ; 
she  drew  back  the  shutter,  and  discovered  that  the 
morning  had  already  dawned.  She  felt  relieved  on 
its  approach,  and  looking  down  from  the  window,  she 
saw  Alvin,  the  servant,  coming  in  the  direction  of 
the  castle,  and  gently  raising  the  window,  requested 
him  to  come  immediately  to  her  room.  He  hastily 
obeyed  the  summons,  and  met  Fostina  at  the  door. 
After  informing  him  what  had  taken  place,  she 
descended  with  him  to  the  hall,  where  they  met 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cameron. 

Fostina  again  informed  tjiem  what  she  had  seen 
and  heard  during  the  night;  on  hearing  which,  they 
seemed  greatly  embarrassed,  as  if  wishing  to  avoid 
any  conversation  to  which  the  subject  might  lead. 

After  breakfast  was  over,  Mr.  Cameron  gave  orders 
to  have  the  carriage  brought  to  the  door,  saying  that 
he  was  going  to  the  village,  and  should  not  return 
iuntil  the  following  morning.  In  a  few  moments  the 
servant  appeared  with  the  carnage,  and  Mr.  Cameron 
and  his  wife  departed. 

As  soon  as  they  had  left  the  castle,  Fostina  re 
turned  to  the  hall,  followed  by  Alvin,  who  now 
seemed  anxious  to  improve  the  opportunity  of  con 
versing  with  her.  She  soon  perceived  this,  and 
earnestly  inquired  of  him  the  cause  of  the  mysterious 
conduct  of  her  friends,  who,  she  believed,  possessed 
more  knowledge  of  the  haunted  castle  than  they 
were  willing  to  disclose. 

Alvin  remained  silent  for  some  time,  and  then 
rising  from  his  seat,  closed  the  doors,  and  approach- 


THE  "WONDERFUL  ADVENTURER.     55 


1112:  Foslira,  solicited  a  promise  from  her  never  to 
reveal  any  thing  which  he  should  make  known  to 
her  concerning  the  family. 

She  answered  him  that  she  would  never  betray 
his  confidence,  and  earnestly  entreated  him  to  tell 
her  all  he  knew. 

Then  seating  himself  near  Fostina,  he  unfolded 
to  her  the  mysteries  of  the  haunted  castle  as  fol 
lows  :  — 

He  had  been  a  servant  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Cam 
eron  two  years,  and  had  resided  at  the  castle,  where 
a  band  of  robbers  had  nightly  collected  together  for 
the  purpose  of  dividing  their  booty,  which  they 
plundered  from  the  neighboring  village. 

He  then  explained  to  her  the  cause  of  what  she 
had  seen  and  heard,  in  the  apartment  over  which 
she  had  slept,  stating  that,  about  two  months  pre 
vious,  a  stranger,  apparently  an  invalid,  had  been 
conveyed  there  and  confined  in  an  upper  room  in 
the  castle,  in  which  he  was  still  held  prisoner.  For 
what  purpose  he  knew  not,  as  he  had  never  dared 
to  make  any  inquiries  of  the  family,  and  had  not 
been  allowed  to  hold  any  conversation  with  the 
prisoner. 

After  hearing  this  intelligence  from  Alvin,  Fostina 
agreed  with  him  to  seek  an  interview  with  the 
stranger,  and  arrange  some  plan  to  assist  his  escape. 
They  then  left  the  hall  and  ascended  together  a 
winding  staircase,  which  led  to  the  apartment  occu 
pied  by  the  prisoner.  On  arriving  at  the  door,  they 
jj  found  it  firmly  secured  by  an  iron  bar,  which  Alvin, 


56  FOSTINA     WOODMAN. 

after  several  attempts,  succeeded  in  removing.  He 
then  opened  .the  door,  and  glancing  into  the  room, 
beheld  the  prisoner  seated  on  a  low  seat,  holding 
a  hook  in  his  hand  as  if  engaged  in  reading.  On 
the  entrance  of  Alvin,  he  fixed  his  gaze  sternly 
upon  him  without  speaking.  Alvin  informed  him 
that  they  were  friends,  and  had  come  to  set  him 
free,  and  turning  round,  he  stepped  hack  into  the 
passage  where  lie  had  left  Fostina,  when,  to  his 
great  surprise,  he  beheld  her  lying  senseless  on 
the  iioor  ! 

Another  instant,  the  prisoner  rushed  to  the  spot, 
and  clasping  the  apparently  lifeless  form  of  Fos- 
tina,  he  bore  her  to  his  apartment  ! 

During  this  time,  Alvin  had  remained  motion 
less,  gazing  with  wonder  and  surprise,  utterly 
confounded  by  these  mysterious  circumstances.  In 
a  few  moments  Fostina  recovered  her  senses,  and 
opening  her  eyes,  beheld  the  pale  and  emaciated 
countenance  of  Lewis  Mortimer,  who  now  clasped 
her  to  his  bosom  ! 


I 

T  II  E     W  O  N  D  E  11  F  U  L    A  D  V  E  X  1  U  R  E  II .  57 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Discovery   of  the  Plot  —  Escape  from   the   Castle  —  Lewis 
Mortimer  and  Fostiua  return  to  the  Village —  They  meet 

the  dco  Brothers —  Conclusion. 

• 

READER,  behold  now  the  plot  of  Rineldo  Aubrey, 
:;*  who  vainly  sought  to  win  the  love  of  the  beautiful 
Fostina,  and  finding  that  he  had  a  successful  rival, 
endeavored  by  his  subtle  plans  to  destroy  his  happi 
ness.  To  execute  his  designs  more  fully  to  his  pur 
pose,  he  had  intercepted  the  letters  belonging  to  his 
cousin,  from  which  he  learned  that  Lewis  Mortimer 

had   been   unfortunate! \*  taken   ill   on   his   passage   to 

' 

California,  and  concluded  to  return  to  his  native  vil 
lage  as  soon  as  "he  recovered.  After  receiving 
this  intelligence,  he  hastened  on  his  journey  to  the 
place  where  Lewis  was  then  confined  by  sickness. 
thinking  an  opportunity  had  now  olfered  itself  for 
him  to  secure  his  victim,  until  lie  had  accomplished 
his  purpose. 

Having  arrived  at  the  village,  where,  as  it  had 
been  stated  in  the  letter,  Lewis  had  been  left  by  his 
friends,  he  called  on  the  attending  physician,  and 
oifered  him  a  large  amount  of  money  to  detain  him 


F  0  S  T I N  A    WOODMAN, 


r~V::±~£-  ";^  -;*^ 


Tlitir  Ettape  tu  the  Village, 

After  a  mutual  explanation  had  taken  place  be 
tween  Fostina  arid  Lewis  at  the  castle,  they  soon 
contrived  plans  to  effect  their  escape,  and  wish 
ing  to  make  their  way  through  the  dense  forest 
which  surrounded  them  as  soon  as  possible,  they 
directed  their  steps  to  a  stream  that  bent  its 
course  along  the  forest  side.  Fortunately,  they 
espied  two  men  seated  upon  the  opposite  bank  en- 


a  certain  length  of  time  :  and  in  order  to  do  this, 
he  must  be  conveyed  to  some  place  of  confine 
ment. 

The   physician   agreed  to   the  proposal,  and  gave     | 
orders    to   have   his   patient   removed    to    the    castle, 
as   it  was  retired  from    the   village,   and  he   thought 
he  would  be  more  likely  to  recover. 

Rineldo,  in  the  mean  time,  wishing  to  leave 
the  impression  upon  the  minds  of  his  friends  that 
Lewis  was  dead,  accordingly  had  his  death  inserted 
in  the  public  prints,  which  soon  conveyed  the  sad  || 
intelligence  to  Fostina,  the  result  of  which  has 
already  been  made  known  to  the  reader. 


1  H  E    WONDERFUL    A  D  V  E  N  T  U  11  E  R .  59 


gaged  in  fishing.  Lewis,  on  seeing  them,  in 
stantly  gave  the  signal  for  them  to  cross  the  water 
in  the  boat  that  lay  anchored  near  them.  They 
cheerfully  obeyed  his  call,  and  in  a  few  moments 
Fostina  and  Lewis  were  safely  landed  upon  the 
opposite  shore.  They  then  immediately  took  their 
way  to  the  village  inn,  where,  on  the  following 
morning,  they  entered  the  coach  and  started  for 
their  native  village,  Lewis  being  determined  to 
seek  out  his  enemies,  and  take  possession  of  the 
cottage. 

In  a  few  weeks,  they  arrived  at  the  village  of 

S  ,  where,  to  their  inexpressible  joy,  they 

learned  that  the  brothers  had  returned  home  soon 
after  the  sudden  disappearance  of  their  sister,  who, 
as  it  had  been  reported  by  Mr.  Aubrey,  had  fallen 
from  the  precipice  in  a  fit  of  insanity,  and  been 
drowned. 

With  hearts  overflowing  with  joy,  Fostina  and 
Lewis  now  hastened  to  the  cottage,  where  they 
met  the  long  absent  and  oeloved  brothers,  who, 
after  hearing  from  their  sister  the  recital  of  her 
sufferings  and  adventures,  returned  their  grateful 
thanks  to  Heaven  for  the  deliverance  of  their 
friends. 

They  now  informed  Lewis  that,  soon  after  leav 
ing  him  at  the  village,  they  fell  victims  to  the  same 
disease,  and  fearing  that  to  continue  their  voyage 
would  be  a  sacrifice  of  life,  they  gave  up  the  pur 
suit  of  that,  which  they  must  lose  so  much  to 
obtain,  and  with  happy  hearts  and  contented  minds 


60  F  0  S  T  I X  A     W  0  O  I)  M  A  N  , 


they  resolved  to  return  to  their  Mountain  home, 
where  they  fondly  anticipated  the  pleasure  of  meet 
ing  with  their  friends,  in  health  and  safety. 

Fostina  then  learned  from  her  brothers,  that  on 
thetr  arrival  at  the  cottage,  Mr.  Aubrey  tiad  returned 
to  his  native  country. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  lovers  had  returned  to  the 
village,  Lewis  was  restored  to  his  former  health,  and 
Fostina  having  escaped  from  so  many  dangers,  now 
fulfilled  her  faithful  promise  to  Lewis  Mortimer,  who 
was  indebted  for  his  life  and  present  happiness  to 
the  beautiful  maiden  in  the  Mountain  Glen. 


THE     END. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


